Director, Sales Engineering - Advanced Technologies - People Protection

About Us:
We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

How We Work:
At Proofpoint, you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity, guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate, Responsive to feedback, challenges, and opportunities, Accountable for results and best-in-class outcomes, Visionary in future-focused problem-solving, Exceptional in execution and impact.

The Role and the Team 

Proofpoint is seeking a highly motivated Director of Advanced Technologies – People Protection to lead a team of Sales Engineers supporting our People Protection business. This role is critical in driving technical excellence across a diverse and evolving product portfolio, including Impersonation Protection, User Protection, Adaptive Email DLP (AEDLP), and other emerging technologies. 

You will lead a team of approximately 20 technical specialists, including 2–3 front-line managers, in supporting customer engagements through demos, proof-of-concepts (POCs), deep technical dives, hands-on lab development, and lab event execution. You’ll also play a key role in pipeline build execution and strategic enablement across the business. 

This is a player-coach role that requires strong technical acumen, leadership experience, and the ability to make informed decisions using both limited information and performance metrics. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of Specialist Sales Engineers focused on People Protection technologies. 

• Support technical sales efforts across multiple product lines, including new and emerging solutions. 

• Drive execution of POCs, demos, deep dives, and lab events to support customer success. 

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement teams to align on go-to-market strategies. 

• Work closely with Product Management to provide customer feedback, influence product direction, and develop relevant use cases. 

• Lead enablement for our core counterparts on the product lines that this team is responsible for. 

• Make data-informed decisions and guide the team through ambiguity and evolving priorities. 

• Foster a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous learning. 

• Act as a technical leader and contributor in strategic customer engagements. 

• Partner with recruiting and HR to attract and retain top talent. 

• Travel as needed (25–50%) to support team and customer needs. 

Job Requirements 

• Proven experience leading technical sales or sales engineering teams in cybersecurity or SaaS. 

• Experience managing managers and scaling technical teams. 

• Ability to lead through ambiguity and drive clarity in complex technical scenarios. 

• Demonstrated success in partnering with Product Management to influence roadmap and strategy. 

• CISSP or similar certifications preferred. 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 

Why Proofpoint? At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compens